March 1, 2023 – United Soccer League One (USL1) – North Carolina FC News Release
CARY, N.C. – North Carolina FC has announced the transfer of defender Britton Fischer to MLS NEXT Pro club MNUFC2. Per league policy, details of the transfer will not be made public, and the move is pending league and federation approval.
A milestone moment for the Youth-to-Pro model, Fischer becomes the first homegrown talent to play for NCFC Youth, the NCFC Academy and the top team at North Carolina FC to be transferred to another professional club for financial compensation.
“Britton’s a special story, he came into the club just outside the academy program and that was a big goal of his. He quickly began to excel in the academy program so we could play him up in age groups, play him with the U23s, play in USL Academy, train with the first team. Step by step he rose to each environment and continued to do well. Signing him to a first team contract a couple years ago and watching his progression has been fantastic,” said head coach John Bradford.
Fischer joined the NCFC Youth Academy in eighth grade when he was 15 after spending time with different academies in his native Greenville, NC. In March 2021, two years after joining the club, Fischer was one of 15 NCFC Academy players to sign a USL Academy contract with the club. Two months later he made his professional debut for the club against the Richmond Kickers on May 22. Fischer signed his first professional contract with the club in October 2021, and made a total of 30 professional appearances.
“Youth development is what our club stands for. There’s a lot of clubs that say it’s their priority that don’t quite follow through with it. We’re proud to be one of the clubs that trusts the young players on the field, and I’m never let down by the young guys. Britton is a great example of that and we’re proud of all he did with NCFC,” said Bradford.
Despite a three-hour, round-trip commute for a couple years, Fischer made the move to join the NCFC Academy to be better scouted by college coaches around the country. He was committed to Duke for a short period of time, but ultimately decided to relinquish his NCAA eligibility when he signed his first pro contract. The option to train with the professional team and gain match experience in USL League One helped sway his decision.
“You always have to remind yourself, you’re a teenager getting pro minutes. You can only expect so much but you also want to set the standard really high…